BloodStained Cherry Blossoms
by The Shojo Otaku Writer
Summary: Naruto and Hinata leave on a mission together: A mission to guard a man who wishes to be reunited with his loved one in the Land of the Cherry Blossoms. Along the way, will Naruto discover feeling he didn't know he had for Hinata? Naruhina Fanfiction
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: naruhina1608 DOES NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS USED IN THIS FANFICTION!!!

**Prologue**

She could feel her life slipping away from her.

Hinata Hyuuga bled endlessly on the lap of the person she loved the most in the world, and she tried to breathe, tried to stay alive. For him, just for him.

But she knew, as her breath began to shorten, her life was nearing its end. She also knew it was about time to say those three words she had yearned to say to him for more than three years. The three words that changed the relationship of two people, and brought them closer together. The three words that had hung on her tongue whenever she was near him.

So, Hinata lifted her blood-stained hand, and placed it on the side of Naruto's face, and whispered:

"I love you…"


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Hinata walked her way toward the 5th Hokage's quarters after being told that she had been summoned for a mission. As the kunoichi strolled through the village, she thought about Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto had just returned from a two and a half year training journey, and he had come back as strong as ever, and just as determined to seek out and save his friend, Sasuke Uchiha, from any more involvement with Orochimaru. It seemed that he hadn't changed a bit personality-wise though. He was still the same hyper-active, knuckle-headed ninja they all knew and loved. Hinata smiled at this passing thought as she reached the Hokage's mansion.

The Hyuuga girl shuffled inside the doors, and then began to ascend the stairs to Tsunade's office. As she did, she suddenly heard a voice call out her name from behind, and she turned to find Sakura Haruno a few steps behind her.

"Hey, Hinata-chan! How've you been?" Sakura asked, catching up to Hinata so they walked almost side by side.

"F-fine, Sakura-chan… and you?" Hinata replied timidly.

"Pretty good. Hey, have you seen Naruto yet?" Sakura asked. Hinata jumped at the mention of Naruto's name, but recovered quickly and answered.

"Y-Yes…"

"He hasn't changed a bit! I mean, sure he got a little stronger, but the way he acts is EXACTLY the same. Don't you think he needs to grow up?" Sakura babbled. Hinata blushed.

"W-Well I think…that Naruto-kun's personality is what makes Naruto…Naruto. I mean, his attitude is where he got his nick-name right? Hyper-active, knuckle-headed ninja?"

"I suppose you're right…but Hinata-chan, you've always been able to relate somehow to Naruto, so I guess you get him more, y'know?"

"I-I dunno…maybe…I just…"

"Anyway, good luck on your mission. Hope you can handle him."

"Him? Him who?" Hinata asked as they stood outside the Hokage's office.

"Naruto, of course. You two have to deal with this mission together." Sakura explained.

Hinata flushed a ridiculously dark color of crimson red, and her eyes widened in surprise as she heard this.

"Hinata-chan?" Sakura waved a hand in front of her face a few times, then shook the stunned girls' shoulders. "Hinata-chaaaan!"

"I-I'm going in now…" Hinata stammered, before stumbling through the door to the Hokage's office.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" Naruto grinned impishly at her from inside the office. Tsunade sighed heavily at his enthusiasm of, well, EVERYTHING, and waved her hand as an invitation for Hinata to come closer.

Hinata shuffled over to stand a few feet away from Naruto, and bowed her head.

"S-Sorry I'm late."

Tsunade smiled at Hinata's apologetic gesture, and shook her head.

"You aren't late Hinata-chan. But I should probably get started telling you what this mission's about." Tsunade said.

"Same old Hinata-chan." Naruto thought, smirking inconspicuously.

"Ok, this mission is, in fact, A-ranked, and requires you both to be on your toes. I would send more experienced ninja, but, inconveniently, there are none available, so you two will have to handle it." Tsunade began explaining. "Anyway, your mission is to escort Kazuya Otomiya to the Land of Cherry Blossoms. Pretty simple, just don't get him killed. The ninja after him want him for his money, which is pretty typical." Tsunade finished.

"Land of Cherry Blossoms, huh? That's pretty far away, y'know…" Naruto sighed heavily.

"What's that, Naruto-chan? If you remember, I told you this was an A-RANKED MISSION. Don't you want it?" Tsunade teased him. Naruto's expression became determined.

"Well of course I do! I can handle ANYTHING you throw at me! Just you name it!" Naruto said confidently.

"Good. Well then, you're to meet Otomiya-san at the gate of the village this evening. In the meantime, prepare. Good luck you two." Tsunade said.

"See ya when we get back, Obaa-san!" Naruto yelled, before walking out. Hinata made her way to the door too, but Tsunade called her back.

"Hinata, don't let down your guard." Tsunade said quietly. "The people after Otomiya-san are very skilled, and would not cease to kill even young girls and children."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Hinata spoke politely.

"Good luck, then."

"Thank you."

Once outside, Hinata left for home and packed up her bag with necessities. She then wandered the streets till evening, when she made her way to the entrance of the village. When she arrived she found Naruto hadn't yet, and Kazuya Otomiya instead. Hinata noted that Kazuya was a strong looking man about two years older than she and Naruto were, with dark hair and blue eyes. He was a lot taller than she was, as she observed when he approached her.

"Hello there. I assume you must be Hinata Hyuuga, one of my guards."

"Y-Yes, sir!" Hinata stammered, blushing suddenly as she always did whenever someone she didn't know spoke directly to her.

"Good, very good. I will try not to be a burden and get in your way." Kazuya said.

"O-Ok…" Hinata stuttered.

"Well, you certainly might distract whoever's after me…" Kazuya suddenly muttered.

"Excuse me, Otomiya-san?" Hinata asked.

"Oh-sorry, it's just that, well, you're quite cute, Hyuuga-san."

"Oh!" Hinata felt her cheeks darken to yet another shade of red, as she fiddled with her fingers and hair. "T-Thank…you."

"Hey everyone! Naruto Uzumaki is here!" Naruto yelled excitedly, running up to the awkward two. Hinata looked over at him and smiled.

"Oh, Naruto-kun! You're here!" She spoke, her eyes suddenly brighter.

"You bet, now let's get the show on the road!" Naruto commanded, a grin illuminating his countenance.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

That evening the group walked for a few hours before they had to set up camp for the night. With Naruto and Hinata switching watch while Kazuya rested, they had the situation under control for the time being. When Hinata went outside at about 1 in the morning and Naruto was nodding off, Hinata came up behind him and tapped his shoulder timidly.

"Ah…Naruto-kun? I'll take over now." Hinata said. Naruto turned around and found Hinata standing behind him. He smiled and shook his head.

"Nah, its ok, Hinata-chan. You should go rest. I mean, I have a lot more energy than most people, so I can definitely handle a night-watch duty." Naruto boasted. Hinata bit her lip in a conflicted way, but turned and returned to her tent.

A couple of hours later, Hinata got the idea to make some tea for Naruto since he was staying up all night so she could sleep. She got up and exited her tent once more. She placed a kettle over the fire, and then poured a cup of tea. She looked over at where Naruto had been sitting on a log, which he was now curled up on. Hinata knelt in front of him, and shook his shoulder until his eyes fluttered open. Hinata held out a glass of tea to him, her cheeks flushed pink. Naruto sat up in a dazed way, and looked at her in surprise.

"Oh, Hinata-kun, what are you doing up?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, well I just…"Hinata stammered, "You fell asleep, so…"

Naruto noticed the cup of tea Hinata was holding out to him, and he took the glass gratefully. He smirked.

"I guess I'm not much of a night-watcher, huh?" Naruto laughed.

"Well…you could be if you just got a little rest. Please let me take it from here!" Hinata insisted.

"If you say so. I am pretty tired…" Naruto agreed, and disappeared into the tent, soon to reappear with a pillow at hand.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata questioned.

"I wouldn't feel right just leaving you out here alone, so I'm just going to rest beside you on the ground." Naruto said, as if compromising. Hinata gave a small smile as he threw the pillow on the ground beside her feet, and was soon sleeping on the camp floor.

As dawn began to break, Hinata boiled a pack of ramen for breakfast, and then another for Naruto. She woke him up, and handed him the food.

"Gosh, Hinata-chan, thanks." Naruto grinned happily at her. She nodded, and stood up.

"I-I'm going to wake up Otomiya-san…" Hinata muttered, stumbling off to Kazuya's tent.

"M'kay." Naruto said through a mouthful of food.

Hinata lifted the tent flap, and peeked inside awkwardly.

"Uh, Otomiya-san? It's time to get up…" Hinata stammered into the shadowed tent.

She heard a vague yawn and a rustle from under the cover of blankets before Kazuya replied.

"Oh, thank you Hyuuga-san. I'll be right out."

Hinata stepped away from the tent and began packing up their supplies. Naruto leant a helping hand and Kazuya soon joined the group and helped finish the clean-up before they continued on their way.

"Hyuuga-san? I was wondering…" Kazuya began, looking upon Hinata with a shrewd expression.

"Y-Yes, Otomiya-san?"

"Do you have someone special to you back in the village?" Kazuya asked. Hinata blushed crimson red, and mumbled inaudible words under her breath.

"Um-well-I...you see…" Hinata stammered.

"You don't have to answer. I'm terribly sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It was out of line to ask such a thing." Kazuya backtracked, regretting his questioning.

"No, it's alright… And no, I don't have someone like that." Hinata said quietly.

"Oh…I see. Why not? Oh wait no don't answer that, really. I say things without thinking…" Kazuya babbled.

"I guess it's because…I'm waiting for someone…" Hinata said.

"Waiting? For someone in specific?"

Hinata flushed a darker color red.

"N-No! Not at all!" Hinata spoke quickly.

"Why are you so interested in stuff like that?" Naruto asked Kazuya, who grinned in an embarrassed way.

"Because…well I'm going to the Land of Cherry Blossoms because…someone's waiting there for me…and I've been betrothed to her for a while now. I'm going there to marry her."

"That's wonderful! Congratulations!" Hinata said excitedly.

"Thank you."

"Hmph! Marry, huh?" Naruto huffed.

"What about you, Uzumaki-san? Anyone that you like in that way?" Kazuya asked.

"I dunno…not really. I mean, I used to like Sakura-chan for a while, but she's more like a big sister to me now… and besides, she has Sasuke. I mean, when I bring him back, she'll have him…" Naruto rambled.

"Ah… I see. Say, you and Hyuuga-san should hook up! That way, EVERYONE would be happy!" Kazuya smirked.

"Ah-! Otomiya-sama!" Hinata gasped at his words, her eyes widened in humiliation.

"Oi, Otomiya! Stop embarrassing us!" Naruto snapped in annoyance at their client.

"Sorry…sorry…" Kazuya sang, skipping ahead of them.

"This guy…" Naruto said darkly, as Hinata giggled at Kazuya's actions.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Later that afternoon, as they walked through the underbrush, Naruto felt the presence of another's chakra, and he whispered to Hinata to use her Byakugan. Hinata did as she was told, and she soon found they were being followed by 2 ninja from the Land Hidden in the Swamp.

"Well, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked.

"There are two of them, in the trees a few feet behind us…" Hinata murmured. Naruto smirked.

"Only two? That's no fun."

"Be careful, Naruto-kun. Hokage-sama told me that these ninja were very skilled." Hinata whispered.

"Heh, no worries. Alright, ready?"

"Yeah. Otomiya-sama, get behind me." Hinata ordered. Kazuya did as he was told, and Hinata flipped out a Shuriken, which she held at the ready. Naruto did the same.

"Alright, you goons! Come out so we can fight!" Naruto shouted.

No sooner had he spoken, two ninja appeared before the group, staring darkly at them. They both wore black shirts and masks concealing their faces. Their arms showed swirled tattoos snaking all the way down to their wrists.

"So, Byakugan, eh?" One spoke in a low, rough voice.

"Yeah, and now you get to see something else you've probably never seen before! Shadow-clone jutsu!" Naruto commanded, and ten other clones of Naruto appeared, surrounded the two swamp ninja.

"Come now, do we really have to fight?" The other swamp ninja asked in a whispery voice. "Just hand over Kazuya and we'll just be on our way."

"Not a chance!" Naruto snapped.

"Well then…" The husky-voiced ninja sighed, and positioned himself,, ready for a fight, "We shall fight."

"Fine with me!" Naruto shouted, coming at the smaller ninja with the murmuring voice. But just when he thought he had collided with the enemy, he suddenly found himself flying through the air and fell headfirst into the ground. Naruto sat up, rubbing his head, completely taken aback.

"Damn…faster than I thought they'd be…" Naruto muttered, before standing up once more and looked around for the ninja. He found the husky voiced one fighting with Hinata, who was putting up quite a defense against him.

"Come on, girlie, let me have Kazuya…I don't want to have to kill you." Otomiya sighed, as if bored.

"Get away from him! What do you want anyway?" Hinata snapped.

"Just him, nothing more, however, I wouldn't mind taking you with me." The husky voiced ninja smiled.

"You won't lay a finger on either of them!" Naruto yelled, pulling the swamp ninja from behind so he would step away from Hinata and Kazuya.

"You little runt!" The ninja snarled angrily, making a quick hand sign. "Ninja Art! Root Entanglement!"

The ground began to shake continuously, and thick, green roots emerged from the earth, shooting out at Hinata and Naruto from all different directions. A root grazed across Kazuya's shoulder, causing him to hit the slowly breaking earth. Hinata gasped, glanced at Naruto, who signaled for her to get out of the area with Kazuya safely, and flung Kazuya on her back, then advanced into the tree branches, where she jumped swiftly through the forest.

They stopped in a small clearing, where Hinata set down Kazuya and found he was bleeding.

"Otomiya-sama!" Hinata said anxiously.

"I'll be fine! You should go help Uzumaki-san. He probably needs your help." Kazuya assured Hinata, who shook her head in protest.

"No, my mission is to protect you. Now please, don't mind me and let me tend to your wounds." Hinata insisted.

"Fine…" Kazuya sighed heavily in defeat, removing his shirt as he did so.

Hinata soon discovered that the roots were poisonous, and that if they had pierced Kazuya any deeper, he probably wouldn't have survived. She applied an antidote, and then they waited for some sign of Naruto, or the enemy.

After sitting in the forest for what seemed like hours, Kazuya turned to Hinata, who looked at him in a conflicted manner. She knew Naruto needed her, but Kazuya also needed her protection. She should be able to understand that she was to stay with Kazuya, but why did she feel so guilty?

"Just go." Kazuya finally whispered.

"But Otomiya-sama-!" Hinata protested.

"Hyuuga-san...you love him." Kazuya said, as if this was the reason she should go.

Hinata had nothing to say to this. She just blushed and stared at the ground.

"Go." Otomiya said firmly. Hinata stood.

"Thank you." She murmured, before sprinting back the way they'd come.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Hinata ran as fast as she could, retracing her steps, until she caught sight of Naruto struggling against both the swamp ninja that had come after them. She aimed a kunai knife at the closest enemy ninja, the smaller of the two. He was caught off guard, and the weapon grazed his cheek. Hinata appeared by Naruto's side, and he smirked.

"Should've known. You never leave your teammates in battle." Naruto said, before they became separated. Hinata fought with the husky-voiced ninja, while Naruto distracted the other.

Eventually, Hinata began to grow tired, and even Naruto was starting to become breathless. Hinata had been able to shut off a few of the enemy's chakra points, but at a hefty price. She sighed heavily, and looked to Naruto to see that he wasn't fairing any better than she was.

"Naruto-kun, what should we do?" Hinata whispered to him, when they stood back to back at one point in battle.

"I dunno…nothing I throw at them seems to get through! If you want, we can retreat, but…" Naruto muttered, turning his head to look her way, only to be cut off by her stare when she whipped around with a determined expression on her face.

"I still have some chakra left, and I can keep going. What about you?"

"I-I have chakra…" Naruto stammered, surprised by her sudden burst of confidence. She usually wasn't this persistent. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll keep going as long as you're here." Hinata burst out. Naruto widened his eyes in surprise at this, and Hinata blushed darkly. "I-I mean, as long as you can keep going, I think I can manage…" Hinata turned back to face her opponent again, and Naruto did the same.

"Ok…" Naruto murmured. "But don't push yourself too hard…"

They resumed the battle, and continued fighting. The swamp ninja looked at the two leaf ninja mockingly.

"Why don't you just give up already? There isn't any way you can defeat us. You should know that by now, so stop wasting your chakra. We haven't even used our Root Entanglement jutsu on you again, and we're still beating you." The ninja Naruto was facing off said.

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Clones of Naruto popped up all over the area, and attacked not only the ninja Naruto had been fighting, but his partner as well. Hinata, now exhausted of chakra and kneeling on the floor, was suddenly swept up into Naruto's arms, and they were soon running through the forest at high speed. Hinata looked up at him in utter surprise, until Naruto asked her where she had left Kazuya.

Hinata used her Byakugan to gaze around until she found him sitting in the same place she had left him. She pointed the way, and they soon stumbled into the clearing Kazuya remained in. Hinata slid out of Naruto's arms and hurried over to Kazuya's side, feelings of guilt wrenching her heart.

"I'm so sorry, Otomiya-san! I apologize for leaving you without a guard!" Hinata said, bowing low. "How does your wound feel? Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, "Hyuuga-san. I'm perfectly fine, thanks to your treatment." Kazuya smiled. "So I assume you got rid of those people that were after me?"

"Well…" Hinata whispered, looking over at Naruto, who avoided her stare. "I suppose it's my fault. I ran out of chakra and Naruto-kun created a distraction so we could escape…"

"Hinata-chan, it wasn't your fault! Besides, we weren't getting anywhere with all the chakra we were using, they wouldn't show a weak spot! It's nobody's fault!" Naruto burst out.

"I see. Well, I suppose we'll just have to carry on, won't we?" Kazuya sighed, before standing up. Hinata nodded, and Naruto walked up front to lead the way.

Soon, the group reached a river, which they camped beside for the night. When Kazuya withdrew for the night to his tent, Hinata sat by the firelight and she sighed heavily, as if to release the guilt built up inside her conscience. Naruto noticed her depressed mood, and sat beside her silently.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata said aloud.

"Look, I know what you're thinking, but you weren't holding me back. I was getting tired too actually. You have to have seen that everything we were attacking them with wasn't making a scratch on them. I at least wanted to get out of there alive so we could think up a different strategy to defeat those jerks the next time around." Naruto explained.

Hinata gave a small smile.

"I see…that's good. Thank you for telling me that, Naruto-kun." Hinata whispered.

Naruto grinned happily at Hinata, making her blush harder in the darkness.

"Naruto-kun, the roots those ninja possess are highly lethal." Hinata suddenly spoke.

"Eh?"

"Kazuya was touched by one, and it almost put his arm out of commission. If it were to pierce you, then…" Hinata's voice trailed off, and Naruto nodded in understanding.

"I see. So they're that powerful, huh?"

Hinata stood up, volunteering to be the first on watch. But before she ventured too far, she said in an undertone, "Naruto, please don't be too reckless."

Naruto didn't try to conceal his confused expression, but he didn't reply. Instead, he just watched her walk off into the shadows of the night.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When the sun rose in the soft blue sky that morning, Hinata felt a feeling of foreboding pass over her. But before she could ponder the strange feeling, it vanished.

They began once again for the Land of the Cherry Blossoms. Today was the day that they would arrive, if everything went smoothly.

As they walked, there was a significant change in the surrounding environment that ensured they were drawing closer to their destination, for cherry blossom trees lined the path they followed.

"Beautiful…" Hinata whispered, as she stared up at the magnificent trees.

"Yes, they are." Kazuya smiled, pausing to pick out a blossomed flower from the tree. "That's why the Land of the Cherry Blossoms thrives so well. The tourists that visit pay to stay year-round just to be in the area."

"Hmph! Its just a bunch of flowers, what's the big deal?" Naruto frowned. Kazuya shook his head, and approached Hinata, flourishing the tiny, delicate flower before placing it in the crook behind her ear. She blushed from the close contact.

"Uzumaki-san, they are not just flowers, but symbols."

"Symbols? Symbols of what?"

"Love, but more importantly, that if you wait around long enough, you could find something beautiful. It's a symbol of hope." Kazuya explained. Naruto huffed again.

"I still don't get it…"

"You will eventually."

"S-So how about we stop for lunch?" Hinata suggested, seeing that Naruto was about to make this into a full-on argument. The two guys seemed to like that idea, so Hinata set up a blanket on the floor right beneath a cherry blossom tree, and began to prepare a meal of instant ramen.

Hinata leaned against the trunk of the tree, and watched the cherry blossoms break free from their branches. A small smile rested on her mouth in quiet contentment.

"Hinata-chan? Aren't you going to eat?" Naruto asked suddenly. Hinata snapped out of her daze and looked over at him.

"Sorry, I'm not really hungry…" She gave an apologetic bow, and resumed staring off into space.

"What are you doing, Hinata-chan? You're really spaced out." Naruto asked curiously. She blushed.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I guess I'm just…"

"She's obviously appreciating the beauty of the cherry blossoms. Isn't that right, Hyuuga-san?" Kazuya guessed.

"I suppose I am…" Hinata mumbled.

"Well stop flower-gazing. We have to get a move-on. Looks like we'll be spending another night out and get there in the morning."

"Sorry…" Hinata apologized.

"It's not your fault, Hinata-chan. It can't be helped." Naruto said matter-of-factly. She nodded meekly, before they gathered up their supplies, only to set up camp a few hours later a little off the path.

That night, the moon was full, and it shone a brilliant light down on the group as they sat around the campfire, and soon, Kazuya crawled into his tent for the night, leaving Naruto and Hinata outside. Hinata sighed and stood up to take the first watch.

"Neh, Hinata-chan, you don't have to. I'll go first." Naruto said, but Hinata shook her head and turned back to him, smiling.

"No, it's ok. I want to. Go ahead and rest." She said briefly before continuing to the edge of their campsite.

As Hinata stood against a tree trunk, she tried to be attentive to every sound and movement around her, but was soon, once again, captivated by the falling petals from the surrounding trees. As she watched them, she began to feel her eyes droop, and then she slid down the trunk into a sitting position, and soon, after battling her eyelids, she lost, and fell asleep.

Naruto, after a few hours, decided to switch night watch duty with Hinata, and he followed after her until he noticed her slumped under a tree, sleeping soundly. He smirked and looked down at her.

"That's what happens when you don't eat. No energy to burn." Naruto thought as he shook his head.

The wind suddenly swept around them, and Hinata's long hair blew tendrils across her face. The flower Kazuya had given her was still perched in her hair, and was striking against the color of her hair. Naruto's heart sped up for whatever reason that he couldn't even begin to understand, and soon he was sitting beside her, and he found himself watching the cherry blossoms fall, and for a moment, he thought he may be dreaming. Only for a moment.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The sun seeped through the stormy sky above, promising rain sometime during the day. Naruto stood up and stretched his legs and arms out before waking Hinata up. When she realized she had fallen asleep during watch, she gasped in humiliation, and apologized to him profusely. He laughed and told her she needn't apologize, and that they should hurry to the Land of the Cherry Blossoms. Hinata agreed and they cleaned up their campsite, woke up Kazuya, and began the finishing few miles of their journey.

As they hiked down the trail, the cherry blossom trees thickened greatly, and soon they could barely make out the path, for it was coated in soft pink petals. Naruto, annoyed at this, felt his way along the path with his feet. Hinata tried not to laugh, as did Kazuya.

It wasn't long until Naruto felt Hinata tug on his sleeve anxiously.

"Naruto-kun…they're following us...about a half a mile away..." Hinata whispered.

Naruto felt his stomach twist uncomfortably at this information, but nodded and swallowed hard before turning to Kazuya, who looked blankly at them.

"Alright, Kazuya. You're going with Hinata-chan. Continue without me and I'll catch up." Naruto instructed. Hinata's heart skipped a beat, and she frowned at these orders. When Naruto turned to her, she shook her head defiantly. Naruto stared her down seriously.

"Hinata-chan, the mission is to get Kazuya to the Land of the Cherry Blossoms. We're almost there, so just finish the mission!" Naruto snapped.

"But…" Hinata clenched her fists tightly. Unwillingly, she looked toward Kazuya, and without any warning, threw him over her shoulder. Before making a run for it down the almost concealed path, she muttered to Naruto, "Remember what I told you about them. Please be careful."

Once Hinata and Kazuya were out of the area, Naruto readied himself for the swamp ninja to attack. In truth, he was pretty nervous. For one, he hadn't given it much thought as to how to defeat the ninja since their last battle, and for another, this was the swamp ninja's last chance, because they were practically at the gates of their destination.

"Damn…" Naruto muttered, as he realized that not only that, but he was outnumbered as well.

The same two ninja he and Hinata had fought a few days ago abruptly sprang from the surrounding bushes, and they grinned when they found only he was around.

"Ah, only you here, eh? Guess you sent the woman and Kazuya off." The husky-voiced ninja smirked.

"Let's leave him. He's not the one we're after. Kazuya will reach the border soon." His companion spoke swiftly, but the smaller swamp ninja had other plans.

"What's the matter? Think I'm too much for ya?" Naruto yelled.

"Y'know, I think I'd like to take this kid on. After all, you DO know who he is, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"He's that nine-tailed fox twerp…"

A look of comprehension dawned on the taller man's face, and he sneered darkly, as if amused.

"Interesting…" He spoke icily. "Then by all means…"

Naruto suddenly found himself facing the two ninja in a head-on re-match, and he had no strategy as to how to overpower them. He readied himself, producing a couple dozen shadow-clones around him, and the battle began.

It wasn't long before the swamp ninja became impatient. Naruto knew he was wasting their time, and buying it for Kazuya, so he tried not to waste too much chakra on stalling. The talller ninja finally snapped at his partner that it was time to move on.

"We have to get rid of this kid!"

"What do you think I'm trying to do, huh?" The stumpier of the two yelled back, throwing a punch that missed Naruto by inches. He grinned.

"Is that all you guys got?" He mocked.

"Far from it, little boy." The gangly one snarled, making a swift, complicated hand sign.

The earth shook beneath their feet, before vastly broad roots emerged from the ground, shooting out pointedly, as if intent on running Naruto through. He swallowed in newfound fear, and dodged as best he could, his heart pounding consistently in his chest.

"So this is their secret technique…" Naruto thought briefly, as he cursed quietly at the new inability to get in close contact with his enemies.

"Give it up!" The user of the jutsu suggested loudly. "If you are touched by these roots, your life will be in real danger. If you are stabbed through, however, it is more than likely that you will die a painful death from the poison coated over the root itself. Let us pass and your life will be spared."

"No way! I never give up, no matter what!" Naruto answered furiously. "My mission is to protect Kazuya, and that's what I plan to do!"

"We've wasted too much time. Kill him." The smaller ninja rasped. His partner smiled slyly.

"With pleasure…" He hissed, before he was hidden from Naruto's view by the gigantic roots that snaked toward him. He flung kunai knives at the live-like roots in all directions, but this proved worthless when the swamp ninja called upon more roots from beneath the ground.

"Fine, if that's how you want to play…" Naruto thought, as he made a single clone materialize beside him. He began to form chakra into the palm of his hand. "Rasengan!"

Naruto let loose a shockwave of chakra at an incoming root, which blew into chunks that flew in every direction. He ran with the ball of chakra sitting in his hand, and crashed himself right through the debris of root until he hit the ninja with his powerful technique. Unfortunately, as soon as the chakra touched the ninja, it popped into the air, replaced with a log. A substitution.

"Shit! A trap!" Naruto thought, gasping aloud.

"Too late!" The smaller ninja snarled aloud, jumping down from a low-hanging tree branch. "Now you die!!!"

Emerging from the ninja's hand was a root that now launched itself from his palm, stretching downward to pierce its newest victim.

"NARUTO-KUN!!!" A familiar voice screamed out his name.

Everything seemed to move in slow-motion, just like a dramatic scene in a movie. Naruto could feel every breath he took as he turned to face his death, his eyes wide with bewilderment. He witnessed his enemy jump down for the kill, much too fast to avoid, and he stumbled into a sitting position, scrunched his eyes closed and swung his arms protectively and instinctively over his head. But when no pain came, he squeezed his eyes open a bit, but then opened them to stare widely up at Hinata's back.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"H-Hinata-chan?" Naruto stammered, his voice soft, as if afraid he was correct that this was the person standing in front of him. He felt the blood rush out his face when she twisted her neck around to face him. Her eyes were quickly growing cloudy, and blood leaked freely from her mouth. She turned back to the one who had pinned her with a root, and smiled darkly. The enemy ninja looked confused by her emotions.

"Your ignorance is astounding…I'm surprised you didn't notice this little flaw…" Hinata said to the ninja, who flinched.

"What are you talking about you stupid girl!? Because of your actions, you're going to die!"

"Maybe…but I'm not the only one."

"What do you mean!?"

Hinata didn't respond, but instead gathered all the chakra she had and sent it up the root that connected her with the man. The ninja immediately crumbled to the ground from the shock of her chakra, and the root snapped. Hinata shot the other ninja a manic look, and in response, he retreated, cursing loudly.

Hinata then pulled out the poisonous root from her chest and threw it to the ground.

"Are you alright…Naruto-kun?" Hinata finally asked her voice cracking as she coughed up a mouthful of blood. Naruto stood shakily, his breathing shallow. Hinata noticed.

"Naruto, p-please answer me…" Hinata said hoarsely.

"I-I'm fine…" Naruto whispered.

"Thank goodness…" Hinata spoke, before collapsing on the dirt with a victorious smile on her face. Naruto quickly knelt beside her and lifted her into his arms. He looked down at her, tears welling in his eyes.

"Y-You…Why did you do that..?! It was dangerous!" Naruto spoke, his own voice cracking as the first of many tears began rolling down his face.

"I'm glad I did…or Naruto-kun would end up like this…" Hinata murmured.

"D-Don't worry, Hinata-chan, I'll take you to the hospital right now and you'll be fine!" Naruto stuttered in a frightened tone as he began to pick her up in his arms. Hinata stopped him with a bloody hand, and shook her head.

"It's ok, Naruto-kun…"

"Hinata-chan-!"

"Don't you think…cherry blossoms are beautiful?"

"Wha-?"

"I do. I wish they grew like this in our village…If I could go back there, I would definitely like to plant a cherry blossom tree…" Hinata felt hot tears stinging her eyes uncomfortably.

"Hey, stop talking like that. When we get back, you can. I'll help you." Naruto smiled encouragingly.

"And…I'll pack a picnic…just like when we were traveling with Otomiya-san…"

Naruto began shaking, his eyes overflowing with tears. He nodded unsteadily, and he clutched Hinata's hand tightly. Hinata's tears, too, were now falling from her eyes.

"Naruto-kun, I don't think you ever really knew how much you inspired me to live until now. I just want to say thank you." Hinata told him gratefully.

"C-Could you j-just- Hinata-chan, p-please just d-don't…" Naruto sobbed uncontrollably. Hinata let out a quiet sob that mingled with his in the air, and she rested her bloody hand on his tear-stained cheek.

"Naruto-kun? There's something else…"

"W-What is it?"

"I-I love you. I've loved you for so long it's almost ridiculous, but I do." Hinata said almost inaudibly.

Naruto felt his heart break. He knew he must have some kind of feelings that were mutual on some level with hers because of the desperation and need for her to stay on this earth with him, so he replied:

"I love you too, Hinata-chan…"

And he did. Even if the feeling was not nearly as passionate as hers was for him. But he was sure the love would be able to grow for her, maybe even blossom.

Like a cherry blossom.

"Guess Kazuya did know something about these pink flowers after all. They do stand for love." Naruto thought nostalgically, as he lifted a now unconscious Hinata up into his arms and began as quickly as possible to the nearest possible place where Hinata could get some medical attentiion: The Land of Cherry Blossoms.

He only prayed she could hold onto her life long enough till then.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Naruto paced his way around the waiting area of the hospital for the twenty-fourth time since the doctors had taken Hinata under their care. Kazuya sat patiently in one of the wooden benches that were pushed up against the wall, with his fiancée, whom Naruto hadn't even bothered to ask her name in his rush of anxiety to find the nearest hospital. Kazuya, luckily, hadn't wandered off too far from the entrance to the Land of the Cherry Blossoms. His fiancée had been waiting for him there, and the reunited couple had been locked in a passionate kiss when Naruto had found them in a state of panic.

"Ugh, this is murder! How can they make us sit around like this!?" Naruto said aloud furiously.

"Be at ease, Uzumaki-san. You must keep your head, or your nervous feelings will get the better of you and you'll do something silly." Kazuya said calmly.

"Are you telling me to relax when my friend is on the brink of death?" Naruto snapped at him. "If so then I will not relax! I'm going to stomp around this waiting room until someone comes out of that E.R. to tells me some news!"

"Alright, suit yourself." Kazuya sighed, stretching his arms upward.

Finally, after another half-hour of listening to Naruto grumble and fidget, a man dressed in white scrubs emerged from an operating room, and Naruto raced over to him.

"Is she going to be ok? Is she? Answer! Tell me!" Naruto yelled questions at the doctor, who remained still until he stopped screaming at him. Kazuya clapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder, and Naruto quieted down unwillingly.

"Her condition has stabilized, and she should be alright. All she needs to do is recover, which will be painful, but not impossible. We found remains of a highly toxic root on her body. This specific type is highly lethal to human beings. Hopefully she will not be touched by something such as this again." The doctor informed the group.

Naruto collapsed in a chair, and released a breath of air. Kazuya smiled at Naruto's sudden change in mood.

"Good for you, Uzumaki-san. I'm glad Hyuuga-san is alright." Kazuya spoke.

"Yeah…"

"Y'know, if I didn't know any better, I would say you looked like a worried boyfriend the way you waited so impatiently for some kind of news about her."

"Shut up, Kazuya." Naruto huffed, his cheeks reddening suspiciously.

Naruto remembered when Hinata was dying in the forest of cherry blossom trees and her words. She had said she had loved him, and that she had for a long time. Was she delirious at the time from the loss of blood, or did she mean that? Naruto groaned.

"Ah, young love. Looks like you have some problems, Uzumaki-san. Am I right?" Kazuya inquired.

"None of your business, Kazuya…" Naruto snapped. Kazuya shook his head, and played with a strand of his fiancées hair with his index finger.

"Well, if it were me, I would just like to let my true love know that I love her and that I would never let her go, no matter what." Kazuya smiled.

"Geez, you don't hold back on what you want to say, do you?" Naruto muttered.

"I know what to say in ANY situation."

"I've noticed…"

"Anyway, don't let me down Uzumaki-san."

"Hmph…"

Another hour passed, and Naruto was allowed to visit Hinata in her hospital room. He knocked twice before shuffling inside. Hinata sat, propped up by pillows, in her bed, wires and machines connected to her wrists. Even in such a situation, she smiled brightly when he showed his face.

"Naruto-kun! Hello!" Hinata greeted happily.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Naruto asked.

"I'm fine, promise!"

"Really?"

"Y-Yes, I'm completely fine…" Hinata blushed at his intense stare, and stared down at her fingers.

"T-That's good…" Naruto mumbled, becoming flustered as well, and looking down at the floor.

"N-Naruto-kun..? Um…thank you…" Hinata said quietly.

"Eh? For what?"

"F-For bringing me here…taking care of me…"

"Oh, s-sure…"

"Just tell her…" Kazuya's voice echoed in his head. Naruto swallowed and pulled his gaze away from the tiled floor, and to Hinata, who flushed a darker red.

"Listen, Hinata-chan…" Naruto began. "I-I just want to clarify what I said in the forest. I like you a lot…" Naruto muttered. He heard Hinata gasp, but when he looked over at her again, she was looking at the plain white sheets draped over her legs. When the silence stretched out for more than two minutes, Naruto grew fidgety. He was about to leave, when he heard a muffled sob. He turned to Hinata, who had her face pressed into her sheets, but nothing could muffle the words she spoke now.

"Really, N-Naruto-kun? Do you mean that?"

"O-Of course I do!"

"B-But…all this time…" Hinata stumbled over her words.

"All this time…what?" Naruto asked.

"It's just…for 3 years, I've noticed something…You love Sakura-san, don't you?" Hinata asked.

Naruto was taken aback with this question. He certainly didn't expect Sakura to be a topic of conversation between them.

After another prolonged silence, Naruto spoke.

"It's true, for a while, I did have feelings for Sakura-chan. But, those feelings were never mutual, and she turned out to be more like a big sister to me than a girlfriend…and she was so in love with Sasuke-kun that she never gave me a second glance. I had to give up, or I would eventually wreck our friendship." Naruto said slowly.

"I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean to bring up a painful topic…" Hinata wished she hadn't said anything. Naruto shook his head and smiled.

"No, I'm glad you told me. It would bother me too if the person I liked might have feelings for someone else." He laughed.

"Um…so you remember what I said to you…"

"Yeah."

Another awkward pause.

"Y-You wanna go out sometime?" Naruto found the words somehow.

After waiting so long for this very moment, Hinata was speechless. After going over this scene in her mind hundreds of times in her life, she now had no idea how to react. Only one word came to mind. Only one word seemed right.

"Yes."


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Cherry blossoms floated down that gorgeous afternoon in spring. She spread out the red and white checkered blanket on the soft, green field, under the shadow of the sturdy, yet delicate tree she and her boyfriend had planted only 3 years ago.

She unpacked the straw basket that was stuffed with homemade delicacies, and laid them all out. Lastly, she unpacked a book bound with a plain black cover. She opened it to the page where she had left off, and fingered the dried cherry blossom she used as her bookmark. This cherry blossom was different from the rest of the flowers that were blooming this spring. This one was special.

"Oi! Hinata-chan! I'm here!" Naruto roared loudly, running over to her boisterously. She shut the book and set it against the tree's trunk, waving to Naruto happily as he dropped down beside her on the picnic blanket.

"Wow, Hinata-chan! You made this all for us? I'm so happy!" Naruto grinned, making Hinata's heart skip a beat.

After eating a very well made lunch, the pair leaned against the trunk of their cherry blossom tree, and gazed at the petals that drifted from the branches.

"I still remember that trip like it was yesterday…" Naruto whispered.

Once Naruto had fallen asleep, leaning against her shoulder, Hinata picked up her book, and opened it up once more.

The cherry blossom bookmark was bloodstained, and Hinata had found it still hanging loosely in her hair when she was in the hospital that day 3 years ago, so she had taken it as a memorial of the day she and Naruto became more than she had ever hoped for. Funny thing about cherry blossoms:

They were even more beautiful when they were splashed in blood.


End file.
